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Aam Aadmi Party's Kumar Vishwas slogs for Amethi crown

It's 5.30 in the morning.While most in the town are still asleep, a double storey house in Awas Vikas Colony is abuzz with activity.

TNN | Updated: Apr 5, 2014, 03:52 IST

AMETHI: It's 5.30 in the morning. While most in the town are still asleep, a double storey house in Awas Vikas Colony is abuzz with activity. In one corner of the verandah, 65-year-old Chandrapal Sharma is doing yoga; some youngsters are huddled in another corner, taking instructions from their team leader, even as women are busy preparing breakfast and lunch packets. A huge banner hanging from the top of the house reads "Badlega Amethi, Badelega Desh".
Welcome to Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas's new home in Amethi from where he has challenged Congress heir-apparent Rahul Gandhi in the Lok Sabha elections. While Rahul has been denied domicile certificate by the district administration on grounds that he does not live in Amethi, the academician-poet-turned politician, Vishwas, has moved here along with his family, as per the promise made by him two months back.

Wife Manju, an academician like her husband, has taken a long leave to accompany him. The couple has got their two daughters, Agrata and Kohu, admitted to a school here. Vishwas, who has over two million followers on Facebook and 2.45 million in Twitter, even persuaded his father Chandrapal, who after retirement had settled in Ghaziabad, to come to Amethi.

"Earlier, I did not want him to contest the election and that too from Amethi, from where winning appeared impossible but he was determined. After coming here I realised that somebody has to challenge the mighty. I am proud that my son did it," said Sharma, as Vishwas touched his feet before hitting the road for campaign amid slogans "Abhi tou Shiela hari hai, ab Rahul kee bari hai; Rahul tere shashan mei, bartan bik gaye ration mei, Vanshwad, Bhrashtachar nahi chalega abki baar and Nikalo bahar makaon se, Jung lado baimano se".

"Amethi has 1,256 villages and I have visited 900 so far in past 40 days and will cover the remaining in next 20 days. The target is to connect with at least 1,000 people daily, which means direct dialogue with six lakh people," says Vishwas, clad in a white khadi kurta paijama and black and white 'gamcha' wrapped around his neck. He leads the way on his SUV accompanied by a van with loud speakers belting out AAP poll songs sung by Kailash Kher and a few volunteers on an open jeep. Donning aam aadmi cap and T-Shirts with Vishwas's photo and a couplet of his poem 'Koi deewana kahta hai', the number of volunteers increases with more joining the campaign at every village where he addresses people.

As Vishwas and his team meander through dusty bumpy roads, waving at people gathered on both sides of the road under scorching heat to greet him, he is stopped at many places by villagers who want to narrate their problems. While at Padanpur a woman complains about bad roads, villagers in Pandit Ka Purwa point out towards water crisis as hand pumps meant for the public were installed at local Congress leader's house and at Pajhawan farmers rue about no irrigation facility.

At most places, common refrain is -- no road, no medical facility, no public distribution system, no electricity, extreme poverty, thatched hutments with no security and no toilets. Everywhere Vishwas makes people wear AAP cap, which he describes as 'Rajya Abhishek' (crowning), reminded them that they are the real masters in democracy. "You elected a person (Rahul Gandhi) who has done nothing for you and only you can change the situation by voting him out," he tells people in every interaction.

The turnout mainly comprises a mix of youth, women and schoolchildren. While for many AAP caps are major attraction, a few come out of curiosity, some turned up with suggestions and demands. Motilal in Birganj said, "Our children need better education." Raju Dubey at Sirsi says, "Congress has been misguiding people". The buzz among Muslims was noticeable. Dalits wanted to know why the party has chosen broom as election symbol. Pernand Dubey asks Vishwas not to be afraid of Congress 'goons'.

However, Rajeshpati Mishra in Pidhi says, "Vishwas is right about Congress's corruption but the answer is Narendra Modi." At Udapur village, Shivsevak Shukla claims, "AAP government ditched people in Delhi." Also, elderly largely remained indifferent. For most of them 'emotional connect' with Gandhi family was more strong. "For us Rahul is Indira Gandhi's grandson and Rajiv Gandhi's son. "What will Vishwas do? Rajiv Gandhi did development here. On two occasions, Amethi elected a non-Congress leader, both did nothing," Shivanand Pathak responds angrily,

However, Saddu, a paan shopkeeper, sums up the situation: "I don't know what would be the result but something new is happening in Amethi this time. Never saw anyone working so hard and in such a planned manner against Gandhis. Amethi used to see 'a selection', this time we are witnessing 'an election'."

Vishwas questions

1: Rahul never visits villages of Amethi, doen's go to Parliament, where does he actually go?

2: Thounsands of crores have been spent on Sonia Gandhi's treatment abroad, why widows of Amethi don't get pension and why can't Rahul ensure that all women, at least those who are pregnant, of Amethi are not forced to travel on bumpy potholed roads on way to hospital?

3: Where has Rs 5,500 crore, which Rahul claims to have spent on Amethi's development, gone?

4: Rahul claims that roads could not be constructed in Amethi because SP is in power in UP. If Congress and SP are rivals, why they give walkover to each other's big leaders?

Campaign management

* More than 85,000 missed calls made to AAP's Amethi membership helpline number

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